Etymologies

From ascend, on the model of descent.

(American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)

Examples

Bronowski summarizes a key factor in what he calls the ascent of Man, and one thing to keep in mind here is that he's not talking about some amazing engineering triumph or complex scientific discovery - he's standing before a piece of abstract sculpture.

Energetic and affable, Deacon helped steer Georgetown's ascent from a provincial to national university, building a cross-country network of alumni and recruitment to mirror those of the Ivy League schools.

Whether metaphorically lifted by the machina of aedificatio or elevated by the virtues and colors of architectural ornament, contemplation was characterized as an ascent from the earthly body and was accounted for in physiological terms.